Air turbine



March 30 1926. v v J. J. FITZGERALD AIR TURBINE Filed Out. a, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 1 A'ITORNEY March 30 1926.-

' J. J. FITZGERALD AIR TURBINE F'il ed Oct. 8. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVEIQTOR' M id/g5;

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

1 UNITED? sra Es ATEN ormos 2 JAMES J. FITZG RALD, or New YORK, N. Y. r

em TUR IN Applicatien filed October 8, 1924. Serial No. 742,281.

heavier than air flying machines, and: the objects of my improvement.are to provide a constructlon of compact form and highpower which willlift itself and the structure of which it is a part straight up 1nto theair without traction or the necessity of running horizontally for anydistance prior to leaving the surface of the earth;

This is accomplished by the use of a series of suction blades or vaneshoused in a rotatable cylinder and secured at their peripheries to thewall of the said cylinder,-

with a second series of similar blades free at their peripheries fromthe cylinder wall,

1 but attached to a central shaft which may be rotated in eitherdirection.

In this structure the concentrated power of the compression which isgoverned by a valve like arrangement operated by the compression createsthrough the driving force I of the induced air a lift of high power dueto the direct thrust of the upwardly driven air.

Other advantages will appear in the following specification and drawingsin which I Fig. 1 is a plan view of a flying machine with my structuremounted thereon.

' Fig. 2 is a side view of same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of one f the cylinders showing twoof the vanes in front elevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 44 of Fig. 3. V

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the reference numeral 10 indicates the body ofthe machine on which are mounted the housings 11-11 for the cylinders12. the latter hav- .ina a gear 13 meshing with a driving gear 14 hookedto a motor of the usual type. Within the said cylinder 12 are two seriesof vanes or blades the first series 15-15 be- "inrz secured attheirperipheries to the wall ofrthe cylinder 12. and free from attachment tothe shaft 17 and'the second series of vanes or blades 1616 beingrigidlyat tached to the shaft 17 and'free of attachment at their outer edges tothe wall 10f the cylinder 12. f1 a As shown at 18 and 19 inFig 1' thesevanes are formed with channels 20 running from the periphery to the hub,the openings atthe-peripherybeing curved and the said curves running inreverse directions on the alternate vanes. It will also be noted Theshaft 17 is provided at its lower end with a gear 21 which meshes with adriving gear 22 in turn connectedwith a motor of any usual type wherebythe vanes 16 may be driven in the opposite direction to that in whichthe vanes 15 are rotated. At the -.-that these channels are wider-attheir lower sections than at the top upper end of the shaft 17 a spring23. is

mounted to. permit its functioning as a valve the adjustment being suchthat the spring will be operated by the compression force at a pointbelow the pressurestrength of the walls of thecylinder 12.

1 The operation of the device is as fol ows:-

The cylinder 12 is first rotated whichdraws in air through the opening24 at the upper end of the housing 11 and passes" downwardlv between thecylinder and the housing-and into thecylinder where the compressionbegins immediately, from the rotation of'the vanes 15.15. When thecompression reaches a certain determined point as indicated by a gauge(not shown), the

vanesi16-16are brought-into operation 'rotating in the o positedirection .to-that of the vanes'15 15 thereby increasing the compression and also causing a lift of marked power. 7

To prevent the force of the compressed air from rending the wall of thecvlinder'12. the spring 23 has only suflicient strength to hold theshaft 17 in its closed position until the compression force reaches apoint considerab v'less than the pressure strength of the said wall andconsequent y theshaft can be lifted by the pressure on the under side ofthe vanes 16-16 thereby permitting the air to escape through the opening2tywhere it will ae'ain be inducted to the bottom of the cylinder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: r 1. In an airturbine'the combination of the following elements: a housing: arotatable cylinder mounted therein; a shaft mounted in the saidcylinder; a'series of blades secured to the Wall of the said cylinderand adapted torota-te around said shaft; a second series of bladesmounted on the said shaft and adapted to rotate Within the said cylinderand in the opposite direction to that in which the first series ofblades is rotated; means adapted to rotate the said cylinder and firstseries of blades; means adapted to rotate the said shaft and the saidsecond 581185 of blades; and means adapted to permit the longitudinalmovement of saidshaft by-compressedair. v

2. In .an air turbine the combination of the following elements; ahousing, a rotatable cylinder mounted therein; means adapted to draw airinto the said cylinder and thereafter to compress the said air; meansadapted to cause a reaotio'n in the movement of the said inwardly drawnair and thereby create a lifting force; and means adapted to permit the.escape of the said compressed air at a predetermined pressure point.

3. In an air turbine the combination of the following elements; ahousing; a rotatable cylinder mounted therein; means adapted to draw airinto the said cylinder and thereafter to compress the same andcomprising" a seriesof blades secured to the Wall of the said cylinder;a shaft mounted in the said cylinder and adapted to be rotated in eitherdirection; means adapted to cause the reaction in the movementof thesaid air and comprising va second series of blades mounted on the saidshaft; means adapted to rotate the said cylinder and the bladessecuredthereto; and means'adapted to rotate the said shaft and the bladesmountedthereon in either direction.

JAMES J. FITZGERALD.

